Castle Park couch to 5k increases my appetite for losing weight

Indie news editor Sinead Corr has signed up for a Couch to 5k fitness programme in Bishop's Stortford...

My takeaway from the third Castle Park couch to 5k training session was that there have already been too many takeaways.

As well as putting us through the paces of his eight-week programme in partnership with Active East Herts, coach Laurence Foote, of Footesteps Coaching, hands out health and fitness advice on the move.

While the group of nine is made up of a variety of ages and shapes, several of us have asked him about the likelihood of shedding pounds as we step up our activities.

This week we warmed up, ran for 90 seconds, walked for the same and then ran for three minutes before a three-minute walk, and repeated this set twice before cooling down with stretches.

Laurence doesn't sugar the pill – our jogging schedule is not a weight-loss plan. It may well help us to shape up and motivate us to eat more healthily, but it's equally likely to increase our appetite and lull us into a false sense of security. An extra biscuit will quickly reverse any calories burned.

When I started the weekly Wednesday course on January 12, I dug out my running gear and found it had shrunk during several months in the drawer – or I had expanded. Quite a lot. Lycra is not as forgiving as I had hoped.

I succumbed to the temptation simply to buy a new top and bottom in a larger size, but came to my senses just in time and cancelled my order. Instead, I decided to make a concerted effort to eat fewer calories.

There was one ray of hope from Laurence: fatty foods are better than sweet snacks as it's sugar that makes us pile on the pounds and I don't have a sweet tooth.

Instead, he recommended upping the proportion of protein consumed to satisfy appetites. While I've got a long way to go before I'm eating like an athlete, I've already made some changes to my routine. I just need to portion properly and replace takeaways with home-cooked food that is both healthy and hearty.

* The Castle Park Couch to 5k started on January 12 and will finish with a group parkrun at Castle Park on Saturday, March 12.